’S HISTORICAL COMM IRE UNI ASH TY NC STA LA TI ST ON EA CHERRY TREE STATION S

THE RAILWAY AT CHERRY TREE The line from to Preston was authorised by an Act of Parliament dated 6th June 1844. Joseph Locke was appointed engineer and Terence Woulf Flanagan was installed as resident engineer. The section of railway between Hoghton and Blackburn which includes Cherry Tree was contracted to be constructed by Nowell and Hattersley the contract being awarded on the 29th January 1845. On completion the line was inspected by Captain Coddington on 30th May 1846 who passed it fit for use and passenger trains started running on 1st June 1846.

Photograph courtesy of Brian Haworth Cherry Tree station main buildings were built of local stone and were situated on the Blackburn bound platform. There were two stone built goods sheds one on either side of Green Lane bridge the largest of the two (now demolished ) serving local mills . The smallest goods shed adjacent to the station still stands today in private ownership. The second railway to arrive at Cherry Tree was the Union Railway which joined the Blackburn Preston line at Cherry Tree Junction just beyond the Preston side of the station. The was authorised by an Act of Parliament on 25th July 1864 to construct a line from St Helens to Adlington and this was quickly extended by an Act dated 13th July 1868 to extend the line to Cherry Tree Junction.

Photograph courtesy of Brian Haworth The line ran via and and stations between Cherry Tree and Chorley were , , Brinscall and Heapy. The line from Cherry Tree Junction to Chorley, Wigan and St Helens opened to goods on 1st November 1869 and to passenger traffic on 1st December 1869 The same section of line closed to passengers in 1960 and to goods in 1966. The 1904 handbook of Railway stations lists Cherry Tree as catering for passenger and goods traffic and possessing a 5 ton crane in the larger of the two goods sheds. The current station was upgraded as part of the Lancashire Lines Station Modernisation Plan carried out by Lancashire County Council in the early 1990s. Photograph courtesy of Brian Haworth

Photograph courtesy of Brian Haworth Photograph courtesy of Brian Haworth